honestly

hon·est·ly

adverb \ˈä-nəst-lē\

: without cheating or lying : in an honest way

: in a genuine way : without pretending

—used to stress that a statement is true

Full Definition of HONESTLY

1

:  in an honest manner: as

a :  without cheating <counted the ballots honestly>

b :  really, genuinely <was honestly scared>

c :  without frills <food honestly prepared>

2

:  to be honest :  to tell the truth <honestly, I don't know>

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Examples of HONESTLY

1. Officials counted the votes honestly.
2. The bank has always dealt honestly with me.
3. I can honestly say that I have never seen that man before today.
4. He spoke honestly about the mistakes he had made.
5. She honestly believes that she has been mistreated.

First Known Use of HONESTLY

14th century

Related to HONESTLY

Synonyms

admittedly, forsooth, frankly, actually, indeed, really, truly, truthfully, verily

Related Words

absolutely, certainly, indisputably, indubitably, positively, realistically, undoubtedly, unquestionably, veritably